


Cold Rage

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gen, post-fantasia arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: Sitting in a bar while on a job, the Thunder Legion overhears something they really wish they hadn't.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Cold Rage

“Did you hear what happened? You know, at Fairy Tail?”

The words of the man on a nearby stool at the bard managed to catch the full attention of all the members of the Thunder Legion. They all knew that they had to keep an ear out for their target’s appearance - after all it was their first job out together without Laxus at their head - but it was hard to not listen. Not when they already knew what was going to be said.

“No?” the man’s friend replied, looking at his companion curiously. “Did they destroy something again?”

The other man snorted, and took a long swig of his beer. “Try a good portion of their hometown!”

“Why would they do a thing like that? Don’t they normally keep Magnolia in pretty good sorts? Were they fighting an enemy or something?”

“Get this - they were fighting... each other! Can you believe that? Those dumbasses thought that it would be a good idea to cause a huge ruckus and wallop each other into the ground the morning before the Harvest Festival began.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Did they have to cancel the parade?”

“Trust me, I ain’t joking about this. Seems like they did the parade all bandaged up and injured.”

“I’m almost sorry I missed it.”

“Don’t be. Normal folk like us wouldn’t stand a chance if we got in the way of one of those mages.”

Bickslow and Evergreen flinched at the harsh words. It wasn’t a new opinion, but it still stung to hear. The mess they had caused wasn’t going away, even if the rubble was cleared. And the harsh reality was that they really had endangered many peoples’ lives in doing what they had. It would be quite some time before they made up for it, no matter how hard they worked to make things right.

Unlike his friends, however, Freed had gone completely still. It was largely his fault for dragging the guild into fighting each other, and he and they all knew it. Without his enchantments to force people into fighting, a lot of the destruction wouldn’t have been possible.

“What in the world would make them attack each other like that though?” the second man asked, pressing the topic and blithely unaware of the nearby eavesdroppers. “Normally they all seem to get along great. Always throwing parties and stuff.”

“Don’t know,” conceded the first man. “But... I did hear a rumor that Laxus Dreyar was expelled from the guild shortly after that. So maybe he had summat to do with it.”

“That’s... he’s the guild master’s grandkid, right?”

Freed’s hands clenched on the table and shook, his fingernails digging into his palms.

The first man nodded. “That’s right. Maybe he started summat he couldn’t finish.” He let out a loud laugh, courage bolstered by the apparent lack of an audience and by copious amounts of alcohol. “Maybe he had them all fight each other for his entertainment!”

A sharp inhale of breath from their leader sent warning signs flashing through Evergreen and Bickslow’s heads, prompting the pair to lay a calming hand on each of Freed’s arms.

Rage flashed through the green-haired man’s eyes, cold and bright. The opposite of Laxus’s rage, which had been lightning quick and hotter than the sun. But Freed’s anger was just as terrifying to witness; pinpricks of ice and darkness, a black hole collapsing in on itself and set to drag everything nearby in to be crushed.

“It’s not worth it, Freed,” Bickslow cautioned, hunched over and speaking lowly so as not to draw attention to themselves. “They don’t know what really happened. They don’t know us. They don’t know Laxus.”

Evergreen nodded shortly, and urged, “Breathe, Freed. We still have a job to do. We can’t prove them wrong if we start more fights.”

Freed’s lip curled in distaste, his hands opening and closing ineffectually. Deep indentations were readily visible on his palms, the skin reddened and near to breaking. “I know,” he told them. “I won’t jeopardize the job. You can let go.”

Unsatisfied, but trustful of his word, they did so.

“Shit!” the first man cursed, his drink suddenly exploding in his hands. “What the hell, barkeep! What kind of shoddy shit are you peddling here?!”

Bickslow groaned and rolled his eyes. “Freed,” he said, warning in his voice.

A hint of a smile tugged at Freed’s lips. “Wasn’t me.” He jerked his chin at their female companion.

Smug, Evergreen took a sip of her own drink. “If we didn’t do anything at all it wouldn’t have sat well. A woman has to have her pride too, you know.”

Shaking his head, Bickslow let out a soft laugh. Well, better Evergreen than him. And definitely better than whatever Freed had been intending to do.

With that, the group hunkered down, and waited patiently for their target to arrive.


End file.
